棍 (gùn) - stick & rod

棍Tone 4

gùn ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

棍 · gùn

stick;

rod;

club;

a long, slender piece of wood or other material;

also refers to a rascal or scoundrel in colloquial usage.

stickrodclub

Usage highlights

wooden stickiron rodbatonwalking stickstick fightnunchaku

Synonyms

  • 棒— stick, club, rod
  • 杖— staff, walking stick

Antonyms

  • 绳— rope, cord (flexible vs. rigid)
  • 君子— gentleman, noble person (antonym to 恶棍 - scoundrel)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He picked up a wooden stick (木棍) to defend himself.
  • Police officers carry batons (警棍) as part of their equipment.
  • The old man walked with the help of a walking stick (拐棍).
  • They used an iron rod (铁棍) to pry open the door.

Collocations

  • wooden stick(木棍)
  • iron rod(铁棍)
  • baton(警棍)
  • walking stick(拐棍)
  • stick fight(棍术)
  • nunchaku(双节棍)

Idioms

  • To beat with a stick(棍棒相加)
  • A stick to beat the dog(打狗棍)
  • A stick of the same color(一棍子打死)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese martial arts, the stick (棍) is one of the fundamental weapons, with techniques documented in classical texts.
  • The character appears in terms for various types of sticks and rods used in daily life, from walking aids to tools.
  • Colloquially used to describe untrustworthy people (e.g., 恶棍 - scoundrel, 赌棍 - inveterate gambler).

FAQ